HistorEATS

HistorEATS: Food History As Told By Me (and articles I read).

I’ve always loved the study of history, in an almost greedy way. When I was young and curious, I wanted to know everything about everything. It was a calling.

I felt I was answering questions fundamental to human existence. Who are we? Where did we come from? What have we done? And who invented cereal?

Maybe my path as a hobby historian is a little unconventional. I started with Medieval history – the plague, kings, castles, lords and ladies, conquests, a changing world – but by senior year found myself arguing a thesis about Julia Child and The History of Food.

It was a pet project turned academic and based on the idea that, as Jostein Gaarder put it, “It’s not a silly question if you can’t answer it.”

The truth was, the one thing I loved more than history, cooking, I knew very little about.

Who invented the Poptart? Do virgins really pick tea in India? What’s the difference between espresso and coffee?